


how are the turtles?

by prismlady



Series: sbi requests u-u [2]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Injury, Child Abuse, Crying, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gaslighting, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I swear this will have a happy ending, Manipulation, Physical Abuse, Prompt Fill, Protective Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Sad TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Self-Harm, Sleepy Bois Inc as Family, Tommy just has to suffer for a bit :(, TommyInnit Needs a Hug (Video Blogging RPF), Villain Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:01:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28525116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prismlady/pseuds/prismlady
Summary: Technoblade froze as Tommy's question registered in his ears. That was a safe phrase. One of his family used a safe phrase.Prompt fill for ToManyFandomss101 <3
Relationships: Clay | Dream & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: sbi requests u-u [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2081295
Comments: 81
Kudos: 1388





	1. pain

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BridgeSpider](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BridgeSpider/gifts).



> this fic was requested by [ToManyFandomss101](https://archiveofourown.org/comments/377395932) !!
> 
> i absolutely LOVE hurt/comfort fics so you KNOW i had to give this fic multiple chapters :) please keep in mind that this is my first fic in a while and my first fic for the fandom so things may be a bit occ and messy.
> 
> TW // abuse (physical and emotional), manipulation, injuries, dissociation, panic attacks, vomit (referenced)
> 
> (please watch the tags!! let me know if anything else needs to be tagged!)
> 
> pls leave a reply if you do bc i love positive comments and validation ♥ hope you guys all enjoy my rambling !!

"Dream, will you please let me keep this pickaxe today? I finally found some diamonds, and I think I worked hard enough for it."

Tommy did not have the strength to keep eye contact with the older man in front of him. The past few days had been so complicated and tough on his mind. ( _Or was it the past few weeks?_ ) He doesn't remember the last time his so-called friends decided to give him a visit. He doesn't remember the last time he had _anyone_ genuinely come to Logstedshire.

Sure, some like Bad and Eret came over, but all they did was mock him and his home and give him _pity gifts._

Tommy did _not_ want pity gifts. Dream never let him keep any handouts from others anyways. Dream said getting help from others makes him weak, and Tommy was _anything_ but weak. Sometimes he had a bit of trouble recognizing weakness, but he could always count on Dream to help him get rid of anything that would be considered cowardly. Tommy could rest well every night knowing everything he owned was completely earned.

It was hard, though, to ignore the strange feeling slowly bubbling inside when he watched the items he spent days shivering and coughing in the caves and oceans farming for just to be destroyed right in front of him, but he would–Tommy would sacrifice anything to make himself a better and stronger person.

“Tommy.”

Even just hearing his name in Dream's voice made the teen flinch ( _stop showing weakness you know he doesn’t like weakness he hates when you show your weakness)._ Tommy knew Dream hated it when he didn't make eye contact, so he mustered up every last bit of his energy and dignity to flick his eyes up. 

"Tommy, do you want to explain what the _fuck_ happened today?" He could feel the man's deadly gaze through the seemingly passive mask.

Today was incredibly unplanned: Quackity gave him the heads up that he would be coming over to visit mere minutes before his arrival. Tommy had absolutely no time to fix his appearance or practice the lines Dream had given him if people started asking questions. Spending time with someone from his previous life in L'Manberg that was so open and candid even brought back his old personality slightly, making him forget the rules that were put in place for his sake. Such as the _No Physical Violence_ rule following Lazar's visit the week prior.

The teen couldn't bring himself to make any noise in response even though he knew Dream didn't like it when he stayed quiet ( _but he's always calling you loud and annoying and bothersome whenever you do speak_ ). He was barely breathing properly, his eyes trained on Dream's subtle movements as he tried to imagine the man's next moves. Tommy's hands immediately went to his boots, shuffling them off his feet despite the freezing wind.

A hand gripped onto his shoulder. He felt a chill travel throughout his body. Time seemed to freeze.

All he could do was stare in fear of what Dream had planned.

Tommy blinked.

Suddenly he was curled up on the floor. He noticed the blaring pain on his shoulder, as if someone had shoved him. His hands however instinctively went to clutch his left side ( _when did Quackity manage to kick your side?_ )

"Get up."

( _but doesn't it feel nice just laying on the floor_ )

"I said, _get up_ , Tommy."

The teen tried to hold back the bile rising up his throat. The kick to the side was not very helpful. He pressed both of his hands on the ground in an attempt to raise himself up just to be met by a crushing stomp from Dream's boot. Tommy's hand went up to his mouth, barely covering the whimper of pain that the older man often angered over ( _you're not crying you're not weak you're not in pain_ ). He looked up to see that emotionless mask he's been staring at for the past few weeks. 

Ever since he met Dream, the first day he wandered into the man's land, he always wondered what was behind that mask.

Tommy liked to imagine the man had a charming smile with kind, sparkling eyes that would make him feel wanted and loved.

"Get to work digging yourself a hole," another kick brought him back to reality, "You don't want your brother Techno seeing you this weak and emotional, do you?"

Oh.

_Oh._

That definitely gave him the energy he needed to start punching the ground with his fists. After just three punches, his knuckles were already aching ( _fuck, you should've put bandaids on those cuts you idiot_ ) but he had to fix everything before Technoblade showed up. He couldn't afford to lose the respect of someone like Technoblade. Tommy kept punching and punching and punching, barely giving any attention to the sobs in his throat or the tears in his eyes.

He could take whatever punishment Dream had for him. He just had to do this. He couldn't lose Technoblade's respect.

Another shiver ran through the teen's body at the hand on his shoulder. Dream's touch varied drastically. Sometimes it felt as though ice had somehow seeped into his soul. Other times, he was reminded of his times by the fireplace with his found family.

"It's okay, Tommy. Shh, shh, it's okay."

Tommy's brain was all mushy and-and all _weird_. It felt as though his mind was slowly drifting away from the pain and confusion his body and brain were facing. All he knew was that Dream said it was okay and Tommy trusted him because Dream would never lie to Tommy because Dream just wanted what was best for him.

"I don't want to do these things to you, Tommy. I'm the only one who shows up everyday to make sure you are happy because I am your friend. _I'm_ the only one who's trying to make sure you're becoming a better person than you once were." Dream's mask never changed, but Tommy swore he could feel something in the air shift, "But _you_ , Tommy. You _never_ want to do good things. You are always taking advantage of my good intentions and good nature. You're a bad, _bad_ child who never wants to _fucking_ listen to anyone who knows better."

( _No I'm not bad i'm not bad i'm not bad i'm not_ )

Dream crossed his arms casually, as if this conversation would be forgotten in a few hours. Tommy would probably get nightmares for the next month.

"I'll let you keep your pathetic diamond pickaxe. There's no point in my trying to help you become a good person when all you do is hurt me, Tommy. All you do is hurt me and my friends who have been trying to help you all along."

"I-I don't want my items."

Tommy blinked. When did he say that? Those words definitely were not intended to come out. His mouth was on autopilot as he tried to salvage the situation. The older man leaned forward, as if testing his loyalty. A few seconds passed with neither party wanting to speak up. However, the though of angering the man in front of him further caused the teen to blurt out before his mind could even register any meanings.

"D-Dream. Will... will you please destroy my items for me?"

"Why would I do that, Tommy?"

Was he even getting enough air to survive? It was so hard to breathe, "It'll make me a good person. It'll make me good, Dream. I want to be good for you Dream. I don't want to be bad anymore. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I-I-"

The warm hand returned on his shoulder. He could almost see Phil's warm smile as Tommy and Wilbur shrieked at their Christmas cookie decorations, Techno arms crossed with the corner of his mouth flickering every once in a while. How long had it been since he saw them?

"I gave you the option to keep your items, Tommy. I won't be mad if you couldn't resist it."

Tommy began throwing his items into the ditch without a second thought.

The diamond pickaxe he was so proud of crafting, the fish he went diving with an axe for in the frozen river, the wheat he watered everyday when he woke up in the early mornings-all lost because of his stupid fucking foolishness today.

"I want to be good, Dream. I want to be good."

He couldn't even bring himself to feel hurt anymore. It was so hard to care.

"You can keep those, Tommy."

Tommy blinked. Did Dream just skip time? He looked down at the items in his hands: a few apples he had gotten from the various trees he had cut down earlier to repair his home.

"Dream, I-I don't think I earned these. I think I've been bad today."

Was that mask... smiling? Surely that was just part of his imagination. "You said sorry. You know I'm only doing this because I am your friend. Your _only_ friend. I don't want to do things that hurt you, Tommy. You can keep those apples if you promise you'll try to do better for me."

Tommy was so happy he had a friend as loving and kind and generous as Dream. Even when he was acting like an annoying piece of shit, Dream would let him keep items he knew he did not deserve. Despite the generosity, Tommy still felt an aching pain in his heart. He was so selfish sometimes. Why couldn't he do better for Dream?

"Thank you for helping me be good, Dream."

"That's what I'm here for, Tommy. Techno said he's coming over in thirty. Go get yourself cleaned up by the sea so he doesn't see how weak you were being today. We want to make good impressions here."

Cool water from the gentle wave tickled the tips of his feet. Tommy could feel the soft sand shifting under the weight of his palms. He splashed some of the water onto his face, flinching as the salt seeped into his open wounds. He rubbed at the tear tracks on his cheeks, trying to focus on the puffs of air that escaped his mouth as he breathed the winter air. Perhaps Technoblade would appreciate his battle wounds.

"Tommy, you have a guest!"

Had it already been half an hour?

Tommy closed his eyes for a brief moment. He tried thinking of any one liners he could throw at the man he once considered a second father to Phil. And for the first time, he was absolutely speechless. He let out a soft sigh.

"Coming, Dream."


	2. rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi !! sorry its been a while. had a lot of school work and a few blood tests done, so i've been procrastinating on finishing this chapter. there will probably be one or two more chapters left and i promise i'll try my best to upload those quickly !! 
> 
> i've been super inspired to write stuff based on some new stuff in tommy's stream so you'll see more from me hopefully soon !!! thank you so so much to everyone who has commented super sweet things and for all the kudos. it really means a lot !! <3 <3

Family was family. Blood or not.

Maybe it was just the hybrid blood inside of him. Whenever he saw the others, he could not help but feel a fierce protectiveness. Even when Tommy was acting like an annoying brat ( _which was often, if his memory served him right_ ), he knew he would never let the boy get hurt on his watch.

Technoblade did not know what to expect upon arriving at Logstedshire. At first, he had no plans to visit. Once he got tired of conquering the SMP Earth server, he decided to accept the invitation to join the Dream server and settle down, swearing off violence ( _for the most part_ ) to peacefully tend to his potato farms. He was doing just fine living in the wilderness on his own, far from the troubles that seemed to plague and haunt the residents of L'Manberg. ( _After all, he definitely di not need more voices and reminders in his head_ ).

However, he heard rumors and talks of Tommy "not being himself."

Having known the child since he was a tiny gremlin in Phil's arms, Techno did not even know what Tommy _not_ being Tommy meant. Tommy was just _Tommy._ Whatever that entailed was for better or for worse. Even when he left the Antarctic to start his new project, the teenager retained the similar scheming and cunning eyes as he left to create something " _by myself, for myself_." So Techno found himself packing a small bag on an adventure to see and confirm for himself. He was already used to the snow from his adventures years ago, so the trip through the snowy tundras and taigas was more comforting than dreadful.

The piglin let out a huff as he clutched his bag up the snowy hill, watching as the cold smoke from his mouth dissipated in the air. He had forgotten his ear muffs at his base, but luckily he was able to shift his hair to cover the sides of his face and neck from the cold wings.

At the top of the hill, Techno was able to see the destination he was approaching. He quickly pulled out his communicator to give Dream a heads up. He found it incredibly strange that Tommy was not reading any messages to his communicator. He remembered the other day Phil looked incredibly distraught after weeks of dead ends at every effort to chat. Techno had to contact _Dream_ , who was already very hesitant on letting him even approach Logstedshire.

"Tommy’s been very busy and enjoying his time," the other masked man seemed casual, yet each word felt like a dagger threatening him to test his authority, "He hasn’t had time to read his communicator."

( _Tommy used to genuinely love talking to others. It didn’t matter what, he always had the energy. Had the two of them drifted so far apart that Tommy had changed so dramatically without him knowing…?_ )

Techno couldn’t read the green man’s true feelings through the little pixel letters on the screen. He remembers just sending “arriving tomorrow” and now here he was, on a snowy hill, staring at the home that Tommy had supposedly built for him.

To say he was proud was an understatement: Wilbur always liked to joke that Tommy became attached and dependent on them, that he would never be able to survive in the wild like the three of them could. Yet here the child was—the closest thing to a little brother— _ actually  _ making something of his own, without the others interfering or protecting him along the way.

The piglin adjusted his mask before continuing his trek. His nose twitched at the smell of burning logs ( _and suddenly he was sitting by a fireplace, hands warm from a chocolate mug, listening to the shrieks and laughter of a family as the snow piles and piles_ _outside_ ). He wondered if Tommy learned how to hunt wild animals, and how to cook on his own, and how to wash his own clothes, and how to keep the lighting up campfire, and so, so many things that _surviving in the wild_ entailed.

His arrival was… abnormally… normal.

There was absolutely no sign of the hyperactive child he once knew. Really, it felt like no one was living in these half built wooden structures. There was no sense of _home_ or _comfort_ in these dirt floors and half stripped logs. _Wasn’t there going to be a beach party here?_ The supposed “beach” was littered with rocks and scraps. Surely Tommy would have put in the effort to at least make things presentable. The only living thing awaiting him at Logstedshire was _Dream_ himself, sitting by the only light source in view.

“Welcome, Technoblade. Hope you’ll find some worth in your days of travel here.” The masked man always gave Techno a bad feeling.

“Where’s Tommy?”

The man let out a chuckle, shaking his head dramatically, “Always so blunt and to the point, huh. Never change, Technoblade, never change.”

An uncomfortable silence was cast upon the two. Dream sipped out of his mug.

“Here, have a seat.” The green man waved his hand aimlessly at the one other flimsy wooden chair, “Let me get you some chocolate or something.”

Techno felt his ear twitch. His eyes shifted over to the rocks on the beach, watching the waves go back and forth.

“Dream.”

“-can pigs even drink— yes?”

“Where’s Tommy?”

Dream stopped in his tracks, tilting his head slightly. Techno’s hand hovered over the hilt of his axe, wondering what the hell the mask was concealing.

“Oh. Oh. I see. You were _actually_ visiting to talk to him, huh. I thought you were just here to… Interesting. I guess I can work with that.”

The piglin’s words were cut abruptly by the loud “ _Tommy! You have a guest._ ” that Dream shouted down the hill. He watched ( _in shock? in horror?_ ) as one of the “rocks” he had been staring at earlier began to shift from its position from the sea.

Tommy was…

Tommy was different.

His appearance had obviously shifted since the last time the two of them had met. He was a lot taller and skinnier, with some carelessly placed bandaids scattered all over. His once fluffy blonde hair was significantly longer than he remembered, flattened with specks of dirt and grains of sand. His clothing was hastily made and contained many burns and rips as if he had been fist fighting with creepers. Those were expected, as it was the boy’s first time surviving practically on his own.

What _was_ unexpected was the shift in Tommy’s energy.

Tommy had always given off a chaotic energy that seemed to seep into others. It was the sort of kick that others needed to unlock their childish desires. Anyone who spent a couple of hours with the child would feel both energized and incredibly exhausted with the hyperactivity. Phil always told him the blonde gremlin was the “easiest and hardest child to entertain.” There was never a boring moment or a beat of silence when it came to Tommy.

This Tommy…

_This_ was not his Tommy.

The three of them sat around a campfire surrounded by a blanket of snow and tense silence, none willing to be the one to spark the conversation. Techno let out a huff, wondering if his visit would achieve anything he ( _and Phil_ ) had set out to accomplish. He glanced over at the child, who seemed to be avoiding eye contact.

“So, Tommy.”

The boy in question flinched. Techno suddenly felt the need to shut the hell up. The words in his throat choked. After what felt like an eternity, Tommy whispered back, “Techno…”

“How have you been?”

“Good. How have you been, big man?”

_ Every second passing felt like the tick of a bomb counting down. _

“You’re enjoying your time here?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s good.”

_ God, why was this so hard? _

“You’re eating enough?”

“...Yeah.”

“And sleeping on time?”

“Yes, Techno.”

Why did he have to be the one to come and check on Tommy? Techno was never one for conversations, especially ones that did not seem to accomplish anything. He felt a headache forming from the silent noise in his thoughts. He wanted to leave as soon as possible. He didn’t want to leave the younger one here alone with Dream, but he didn’t want to stay any longer than he had to.

When did Tommy start calling him _Phil_?

“Oh, strip mining? Did you find a lot of diamonds?”

“I did…”

“You make anything?”

“...I crafted some armor.”

Techno squinted, “Really? Let me check it out, I could help you enchant or something.”

Dream coughed, muttering an “excuse me” under his breath.

“It’s okay, Techno.” Tommy’s face fell, glancing down to the floor again. The uncomfortable silence was back. The piglin glanced over Dream, who seemed to be both uncaring and displeased with the current conversation. 

“You get a lot of visitors?”

Tommy opened his mouth but no sounds seemed to come out.

“ _Tommy_.” The masked man’s stern voice cut through the silence.

“Sorry, sorry.” The child seemed to be shaking ( _ he’s cold, i should give him my cape _ ), his hands seemingly unable to stop fidgeting, “Yes, Techno.”

This was uncomfortable.

“Tommy, did you get those letters that Phil sent a while back?”

Tommy’s head snapped up instantly, his eyes wide with so many different emotions that Techno couldn’t read, “Phil?”

"He hasn’t gotten any mail, Techno. Must’ve gotten lost in travel.” Dream stood from his spot around the dwindling fire, face impassive as always. His tone on the other hand was undeniably impatient and displeased.

Techno wasn’t looking to make another enemy.

“Well. I think I’ll be on my way then.” The piglin huffed as he stood up as well, wondering if he had accomplished anything, “Let me go get my bag-”

A tug.

(  _ Suddenly he was back, next to the warm fireplace. There he was, sitting by himself, watching the flames dance before his eyes. A light tug on his cape. He glanced down to a mop of blonde bed hair and excited chattering. He remembers reaching down and ruffling the hair-  _ )

Techno did not take well to others touching his possessions. He was part piglin at heart, and piglins did not enjoy strangers attempting to loot their assets. He felt a sudden surge of anger, his hands clenched into a fist as he prepared for a fight. He glanced down.

Tommy wasn’t even looking in his direction. He was staring at the beach as the waves broke in and out. One of his hands was pressed into the grass. The other was shaking noticeably as it clutched onto Techno’s red silk cape, as if he were holding on for dear life.

This was not normal.

_ Was it? _

Dream grabbed the child’s arm, releasing it from the cape. (Techno didn’t know if he felt relieved or horrified.) The man leaned in closer, as if he were observing the other’s every twitch, “You know you shouldn’t be touching others. You don’t want to bother Technoblade when he’s got things to do.”

“Tommy....” The piglin began, “Is everything alright?”

He was getting tired of the silence.

“You’re okay,  _ right _ Tommy?”

Techno began grabbing his keys and things from the table, slowly placing them into his bag as he watched the closest thing to a younger brother sit quietly at the table. He knew he was wasting time grabbing one item at a time, but he couldn’t help the protective feeling. The feeling that something was terribly, terribly wrong, but he just could not see it. Dream had no business placing his dirty paws on Tommy. But who was Techno to waltz into 

He brushed his hair out from underneath the straps before adjusting them, letting out a few huffs. How was he going to report this back to Phil? Was there even anything to report? The piglin gave the two a bow before turning and walking towards the wilderness. Maybe he would return in the future and check up on the child-

“Hey Techno, h-how are the turtles?”

His legs stopped dead in its tracks before he could even register the words.

**Author's Note:**

> if you have any additional requests, please comment them [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28417221) ♥


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